I'm glad the presidential election campaign is over

I know I’m not alone in being glad the election season’s finally over.It’s ironic, because a presidential election used to be something I looked forward to every four years -- sort of a political Olympics.It’s my job to pay attention to national news and issues that will affect the local area; during the election season, it’s exciting that so many others are paying attention, too.But showing interest is one thing, the rancor and ill will of this go-round is something different altogether.This has been particularly noticeable on Facebook, where people I consider friends, have been posting mean-spirited, party-line propaganda day after day after day. I confess I began to lose respect for some people I considered more than just Facebook friends.But sometimes, problems caused by Facebook, can also be solved by Facebook. I changed my settings to ignore those who were most annoying; others I simply unfriended. Three other things are bugging me this year.First, because of the way the Electoral College works, our presidential votes in New York won’t count. This is a blue state; Barack Obama will get our 29 electoral votes no matter which box you or I check. We do also face choices in the state Assembly and U.S. Congress, so don’t let this prevent you from votingSecond, the presidential years are usually the high-water marks for voting. In local elections, where each vote counts vitally, the turnout is usually mush lower.And lastly, I find it hard to believe anyone who’s been paying attention, even a little bit, can still be undecided. These two presidential candidates present such a stark difference. It’s scary that the whole contest will apparently be won on the effect of some negative campaign ads on a few undecided voters in a few swing states.If you haven’t yet seen the Saturday Night Live fake commercial about undecided voters, have a look; it’s hilarious and too true: